Ranking the Top 10 Players from the 2010 NBA Draft Class

By Keith Alrick

The Top 10 Players from the 2010 NBA Draft

2010 NBA Draft — The NBA Draft is just four days away, which makes now a good time to look back at how previous draft classes have progressed. The night of the 2010 draft was stolen by Kentucky, which set an NBA record by having five players selected in the first round. Four years later, it has proven to not be a deep class, but it does have a handful of very talented players. Now let's see where the players of 2010 would be selected if they were picked today.

10. Jeremy Lin

Jeremy Lin Houston Rockets

10. Jeremy Lin

Jeremy Lin Houston Rockets — Undrafted in 2010

A lot of people wouldn't have been able to handle the meteoric rise that Jeremy Lin had in 2011. While his play predictably came back to earth, he managed to not fall completely off the map. He has turned himself into a very serviceable guard.

9. Avery Bradley

Avery Bradley Boston Celtics

9. Avery Bradley

Avery Bradly Boston Celtics — 19th pick in 2010

Avery Bradley is coming off of his best season in the NBA. The 23-year-old averaged 15 points per game and just under four rebounds. He is also a very reliable defensive player. Bradley has shown that he was undervalued at the 19th overall pick.

8. Derrick Favors

Derrick Favors Utah Jazz

8. Derrick Favors

Derrick Favors Utah Jazz — 3rd Pick in 2010

Derrick Favors has had a solid start to his NBA career. Unfortunately, solid isn't good enough when you're the third pick in the draft. I think he will be a guy who comes close but never quite reaches All-Star level. However, he's still only 22 years old and should be able to have a very long career.

7. Gordon Hayward

Gordon Hayward Utah Jazz

7. Gordon Hayward

Gordon Hayward Utah Jazz — 9th Pick in 2010

Hayward has proved to be worthy of his top 10 selection in 2010. He is coming off of a season where he averaged 16 points, five rebounds and five assists a game. He struggled from behind the arc but managed to improve every other area of his game. It will be interesting to watch whether or not he can take his game to an even higher level next season.

6. Lance Stephenson

Lance Stephenson Indiana Pacers

6. Lance Stephenson

Lance Stephenson Indiana Pacers — 40th Pick in 2010

In terms of value, Stephenson was the best pick in the draft. He has his share of issues, but he has certainly proved that he belongs in the NBA. In this past season, he averaged 14 points seven rebounds and nearly five assists a game while shooting 55 percent from the field.

5. Eric Bledsoe

Eric Bledsoe Phoenix Suns

5. Eric Bledsoe

Eric Bledsoe Phoenix Suns — 18th Pick in 2010

Eric Bledsoe spent his first three seasons backing up Chris Paul. In limited action, he would always display moments of athletic brilliance. In his first season as a starter, Bledsoe doubled his points per game. Sadly, his breakout season was cut short due to injury or else he might be higher on this list.

4. Greg Monroe

Greg Monroe Detroit Pistons

4. Greg Monroe

Greg Monroe Detroit Pistons — 7th Pick in 2010

Greg Monroe is probably the most consistent player in this draft class. He has averaged over 15 points and nine rebounds for three straight years. Monroe is also a very good passing big guy. He has proven that he will be a solid starter for many years, but his overall ceiling isn't that high.

3. John Wall

John Wall Washington Wizards

3. John Wall

John Wall Washington Wizards — 1st Pick in 2010

John Wall has earned his No. 1 overall selection. Last season he set career highs in points and assists, but more importantly he took the next step as a leader. He showed that he is capable of taking a team to the playoffs. Despite all of this, I believe two players from his class would be selected ahead of him if the draft occurred today.

2. DeMarcus Cousins

DeMarcus Cousins Sacramento Kings

2. DeMarcus Cousins

DeMarcus Cousins Sacramento Kings — 5th Pick in 2010

Cousins is probably the most talented player in this draft class. He averaged just under 23 points and 12 rebounds last season. The only thing that can hold him back is his personality. He has had issues with teammates and coaches, which actually led to a suspension in 2012. I think he has a chance to be the best player from this draft if he fixes those problems.

1. Paul George

Paul George Indiana Pacers

1. Paul George

Paul George Indiana Pacers — 10th Pick in 2010

Paul George has clearly been the most successful player from this draft class. The two-time All-Star has led the Pacers to back-to-back Eastern Conference finals. He had a stretch early this year that had people considering him for MVP. While he hasn't reached that level yet his career is certainly going in the right direction.

Share On Facebook

Share